economy

After receiving high marks for a second time from both Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Financial Services and Moody’s Investor Service in their bond ratings reports, Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is ready to issue its second set of bonds for sale with the Measure F general obligation bond.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) has just received the highest level of accreditation possible from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC). The commission reaffirmed the college’s accreditation for seven years on the basis of a comprehensive evaluation. This reaffirmation puts the college in excellent standing until its next full accreditation review in Fall 2024.

The rural mountain lifestyle we all enjoy at Lake Tahoe is not isolated from the major urban areas nearby. On a typical holiday weekend, the Tahoe Basin turns into a recreation thoroughfare as tens of thousands of day and overnight visitors who sustain our local economy drive up from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Reno.

El Dorado County was selected as the "2017 Paving the Way" award by the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) einner on December 6. This single award ecognizes a community that has achieved exceptional economic development results during the year.

“For the last 18 months, El Dorado County has developed and executed a strategic approach to economic development in order to elevate the profile of our part of the Greater Sacramento Region,” said Don Ashton, the County’s Chief Administrative Officer.

The holidays are upon us which means ‘tis the season to GO Local! Tahoe Chamber’s annual GO Local & Win! contest is kicking off on Small Business Saturday, November 25. Simply pick up a GO Local & Win passport at participating businesses or download one online, then shop or dine at any of the participating business through January 1, 2018. For every $25 spent contestants will receive a stamp on their passport. Completed passports are eligible to up to $500 in cash prizes and those that follow along on the @GOLocalTahoe Facebook page have more opportunities to win.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE – The winners of the 10th annual Blue Ribbon Awards were announced Thursday night at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. Over 300 community members attended to celebrate the winners of seven awards that honor outstanding South Shore businesses, organizations and individuals for civic contributions, tourism experiences, customer service and entrepreneurial achievements.

The following are the winners of the 10th annual Blue Ribbon Awards:

Geotourism Award
Winner: Tahoe Rim Trail Association
Honorable Mention: Edgewood Tahoe
Sponsored by Bike the West

The Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce (Tahoe Chamber) is holding their annual Blue Ribbon Awards dinner on Thursday, November 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Harrah's Lake Tahoe Ballroom. This gala event honors businesses, organizations, and individuals for civic contributions, tourism experiences, customer service, and entrepreneurial achievements. Tickets for the award ceremony are currently available online at www.TahoeChamber.org.

On Tuesday, a majority of city council agreed on a revised VHR (Vacation Home Rental) ordinance. In two weeks we will vote on the first reading of the ordinance and if a majority supports it, on November 7th would be the final vote to adopt the revised regulations and rules. The ordinance would then go into effect 30 days later.

Squaw Valley has applied for a permit to install Lake Tahoe's second gravity-powered coaster, the Timberline Twister.

In March, 2013, Squaw Valley scrapped plans for the coaster "due to business considerations and capital priorities," a.ccording to a letter sent to Placer County at the time

Now plans are back on for the ride that will expand on-mountain experiences for families. It will be located at the bottom of the mountain between the Far East and Red Dog chairlifts, an area already zoned for this type of recreational use.

Achievements in preserving Lake Tahoe were celebrated August 22 during the 21st Lake Tahoe Summit at Tallac Historic Site, but it was clear there is a lot more to do and the job will never be over.

Started by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, this annual gathering of government, public agencies and private partners highlights what has been done, what is being done, what what still needs to be done in keeping Lake Tahoe clean and clear.

For 20 years, every August we’ve paused to reflect on our collective commitment to Lake Tahoe’s restoration at the Lake Tahoe Summit. This year, with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein hosting the event, the issue of climate change will be front and center. Climate change poses incredible challenges for Tahoe, affecting not only the health of its famously cold, clear waters, but the health of its expansive forests and what is to become of our $5 billion outdoor recreation-based economy.

Over the next six months the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA) will get $1,779,495 from Placer County after the Board of Supervisors approved the contract Tuesday.

Of the contract, $1,728,262 will fund NLTRA marketing and visitor services, with $16,104 earmarked for NLTRA’s participation in regional transportation planning efforts and $33,129 for their support in developing a capital projects partnership to complete goals in the Tourism Master Plan.

When the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted on a new Vacation Rental Ordinance in 2015 they also promised to hire a consultant to prepare a socioeconomic study on the impact vacation home rentals (VHRs) have on the community.

The results of the study were presented to the City Council and the public during a special meeting on Tuesday.

The Sierra Club Tahoe Area Group presents a free, advanced screening of From the Ashes, produced by Radical Media in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies for National Geographic on Thursday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. at Unity of the Lake.

The film provides a compelling and often heartbreaking look at coal and what’s at stake for our economy, health, and climate. Learn more about an industry on the edge and what it means for our future.

I took a couple of field trips this month related to learning more about cannabis and how it may affect our city if retail, commercial grows, testing, and edible production are implemented. I learned a lot and will share some of the highlights with you.

The first trip was to Breckenridge, a visit I piggybacked on top of a wedding I attended in Vail. I met with their Mayor, City Manager (formerly the police chief) and the assistant city manager. We met for two hours and our talk was primarily centered on their experiences with the legalization of cannabis in Breckenridge.

Every two years a new business plan is presented to the South Lake Tahoe City Council, outlining goals, the vision and strategic priorities. This is done after each election.

In February, City staff, Council and community members got together for a two-day strategic planning session, and the results that came out of that were put into the 2017/18 South Lake Tahoe Business Plan.

Members of the California Teacher's Association (CTA) and California Federation of Teachers (CFT) across the state brought out the posters and wore red on May 1 to advocate for public education and immigrant students.

South Lake Tahoe teachers joined in and greeted parents and students as they arrived for school Monday, displaying posters and letting students know they all had a right to quality and free public education, and asking all to take the pledge (as seen below).

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - Residents of South Lake Tahoe take pride in their city, its beauty, charm and recreational opportunities, and action during Tuesday's City Council gave people another reason to appreciate their community.

In honor of Earth Day, the City of South Lake Tahoe joined at least 26 other municipalities in the United States, and the latest in a growing coalition of mountain communities, to commit to 100 percent clean and renewable electricity by the year 2032.

“Choices, what are yours?” was the theme of our efforts in keeping our youth drug free.

"I'm looking for opportunities to build strategic relationships and leverage resources, and not duplicating what we already have," Craig A. Schmidt said after being on the job for five days at the Tahoe Chamber. "That is what excites me about the South Shore."

Schmidt is the new Chief Executive Officer for the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, a job vacant since July 1, 2016 when "B" Gorman left to develop her coaching business.

Over the last two decades, the Lake Tahoe Region has become a national leader in fighting the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) that threaten to harm its world-renowned environment and the $5 billion recreation-based economy it supports.

The Lake Tahoe Region is working with other partners throughout the American West to better safeguard waterbodies and improve national invasive species policies. We are also working with the boating industry to help manufacturers design watercraft that are less likely to carry AIS and are easier to inspect and decontaminate.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board on Wednesday unanimously approved Placer County’s Tahoe Basin Area Plan and the Tahoe City Lodge Project.

“This is the fourth area plan approved at Lake Tahoe and an important milestone for implementing the 2012 Regional Plan,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, executive director of TRPA. “With this plan, we can take significant steps to improve the environment and strengthen communities on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.”

Twenty-five years ago, I finished my graduate work in Oregon and moved to Northern Nevada for a planning position at TRPA. Having spent a large part of my youth hiking and camping at Tahoe and in the Sierra, the move felt like coming home.

Four years ago this month, TRPA approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

Many Tahoe Basin stakeholders once questioned if we could work together, but the Regional Plan ushered in an era of collaboration. Today, the answer is how can we work together more efficiently. By building and strengthening partnerships we have made remarkable progress. This year was no different.